The addition of Facey is a major boost for UConn, which needed the depth inside to match its array of skilled wing and perimeter threats. The Huskies, picked to finish second in the new American Athletic Conference, are ranked 19th in the preseason AP top 25 poll.

Facey didn’t start playing basketball until the age of 15. He proved to be a quick study and ended up at Long Island Lutheran through the Jamaica Basketball Development camp. He excelled at the Brookville powerhouse, landing scores of high-major Division I scholarship offers, and committed to UConn with AAU teammate Terrence Samuel, a Brooklyn native.